Power and Wealth

Morning.

It was 9 o'clock.

In the old county committee compound, under the direction of Dong Xuebing, personnel from various departments and some workers responsible for transporting items were loading files and equipment onto trucks. Even though everyone felt uncomfortable with the situation and Zhang Dongfang and others had previously agreed to slow things down in their meeting temporarily, Dong Xuebing, as the top leader, had the final say. Without his decision, the resolutions passed in the meeting wouldn't take effect. Now that he had spoken, the subordinates had no choice but to follow his orders.

The Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Wang Bin also came up to try to persuade him, "Secretary, could you reconsider?"

Dong Xuebing dismissed it, saying, "What is there to reconsider? Just execute the plan."

Deputy Secretary Wei Zhixuan darkly remarked, "Our county is already walking a fine line. If we proceed with this now, it will give the provincial authorities an excuse to deal with us."

Dong Xuebing glanced at him, "Then Deputy Secretary Wei can stay here, and we'll get started." Dong Xuebing didn’t give him the slightest respect, showing no regard for this veteran comrade from Jiaolin County.

Wei Zhixuan was left speechless, his anger almost making his beard curl.

Zhang Dongfang's people also thought Dong Xuebing had lost his mind.

Zhang Dongfang glanced at Dong Xuebing, took in the surrounding situation, and said, "If Secretary Dong says we should move, then we will follow orders, but I reserve my opinion on this matter!"

Reserving an opinion!

This was already a significant form of protest!

Everyone around them tightened their faces, and the atmosphere became tense!

Dong Xuebing glanced at Zhang Dongfang but kept a casual expression. He instructed several leaders, "The plan was to move in batches, but it’s too troublesome. I have other decisions to make. So, Director Meng, you all pack up. Everyone is moving over there today."

Meng Hanmei wanted to say something but could only comply, "Understood."

Dong Xuebing wouldn't have been so forceful if the situation were different. This was because, for many years, the decision-making power of a county's top leader had been limited to a veto power. But now, with more than half of the votes on his side in the Standing Committee, he was firmly in control of Jiaolin County and had the initiative. So now, when he spoke, there was an air of authority. He didn't consult with anyone; it was all decided by him. At this moment, he had the power and the dominance. Dong Xuebing believed this was the kind of decisiveness a leader should have. In critical moments, a leader needs to be resolute and firm. Otherwise, how could he still be considered a top leader if everything had to be negotiated or if he worried about this and that? The environment, position, and approach had all changed. In the past, Dong Xuebing was used to working closely with his subordinates, partly due to his personality and work needs, but the current situation forced him to be more assertive. For example, when it came to Meng Hanmei and Su Yan, Dong Xuebing did not tell them his plans, signaling a change in his approach. As a county party secretary, sometimes commanding respect was more effective than being too friendly with subordinates. Of course, not everything should be done harshly; a balance of strength and flexibility was essential.

Deputy Mayor Song Hefe's questioning gaze turned to Zhang Dongfang.

Zhang Dongfang waved his hand, "Move, everyone packs up." After saying this, he turned and entered the office building, clearly angry.

They hadn't planned on leaving today, but since Dong Xuebing had said so, they had no choice but to comply. After all, the order came from him. Zhang Dongfang’s faction was already opposed, and he had expressed his reservations, but it wouldn't be his responsibility if anything went wrong. Dong Xuebing would take the blame for it.

Five minutes...

Ten minutes...

The compound was bustling with activity.

But just as everyone was finishing packing up and preparing to move, with the trucks ready to go, a few Audi cars suddenly blocked the entrance.

The cars had provincial plates.

As the car doors opened, seven or eight people got out disorganizedly.

Everyone turned to look. Some recognized them, and their faces immediately changed!

At the forefront was a balding middle-aged man who stepped out, furrowing his brows as he surveyed the crowd. He reached into his coat and pulled out an ID. "We’re from the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission. Regarding the issues raised about the Baohong City office location and the family housing area, the provincial government has already ordered the formation of an investigation team. We are here to investigate Jiaolin County. We may need to review some files and records and possibly summon individuals for questioning. Please cooperate."

Behind him, several other members of the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission stood in place, creating a tense and oppressive atmosphere—The Discipline Inspection Commission was a powerful enforcement agency. Any public servant or leader working in a government institution would dread dealing with them because nothing good comes of it when the Commission is involved. And this time, it was even more severe. As part of the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission, the investigation team bypassed the Baohong City Commission, clearly indicating the province’s stance. The provincial government was very concerned about the matter—some might even say they were furious.

Zhang Dongfang's expression changed immediately. He hadn’t received any prior notice about this. The investigation hadn’t gone through the Baohong City committee, and the confidentiality was tight—only a few hours had passed since the investigation team was formed. The province’s attention was obvious. This investigation would go all the way through. It left no room for the local leaders to cover up or find excuses!

Dong Xuebing… Dong Xuebing!

Let’s see how you’re going to handle this!

Though Zhang Dongfang was anxious, he knew that if this matter became as serious as it seemed, Dong Xuebing would bear more responsibility than he would. Zhang Dongfang’s hope lay in his previous opposition to the relocation of the new county committee compound and his objections when Li Guian was in office regarding the construction of the new county committee compound. These meetings and documents were all recorded, and it would be easy to trace them. Zhang Dongfang felt that his issues wouldn’t be too severe even if he was implicated. Dong Xuebing, on the other hand, had more trouble ahead. The new compound was the county committee's responsibility, and Dong Xuebing had ordered the relocation. As county party secretary, he would indeed have difficulty justifying his actions.

Everyone thought the same.

Meng Hanmei, with a pale face, quickly found Dong Xuebing, "Secretary, what should we do now?"

Chang Lin, who had been talking to Dong Xuebing, also noticed the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission members. His expression turned serious, "Why is the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission involved in this investigation?"

This was bad!

Were they going to tear Jiaolin County apart?

If the investigation were thorough, it wouldn’t be surprising for several leaders to be removed from their posts, and some county committee members could be suspended—that was completely normal. No one had anticipated the province would take such drastic action, leaving no room for maneuver! But, honestly, it was hard to blame the province. After all, there were real problems with constructing the new county committee compound. It might not have been a funding issue, but rather with public perception and the media. If the people believe there's a problem, then there’s a problem. Such a wasteful construction project would make the public distrust and question the government. Though it may seem minor, this kind of thing is quite significant. What could be more critical than social stability?

"Secretary, please say something?" Meng Hanmei asked anxiously. She also felt a bit guilty. She felt that Dong Xuebing was innocent in this matter—after all, he had only just taken office a few days ago. Furthermore, after seeing the new county committee compound, Dong Xuebing had asked Meng Hanmei about it and expressed some concerns. But Meng Hanmei had favored everyone moving there and had expressed that attitude. So now, with Dong Xuebing making this decision, Meng Hanmei felt deeply guilty if she hadn’t said that then, perhaps the situation wouldn’t be so passive now. But now that the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission people had arrived, it was too late to say anything. Forget about Dong Xuebing—she might also be implicated.

Several of Dong Xuebing's people looked at him.

Zhang Dongfang’s group and the government officials present all turned to look at the county party secretary.

But Dong Xuebing remained expressionless. He told Meng Hanmei and the others, "It’s fine; don’t panic. They can do their investigation, and we’ll do our work."

"But..." Sun Changzhi said.

Dong Xuebing said nothing further and walked directly towards the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission investigation team. Zhang Dongfang and the others followed, saying, "Hello."

The middle-aged man leading the group looked at him, "Who are you?"

Dong Xuebing extended his hand, "I am Dong Xuebing, the county party secretary of Jiaolin County."

"Secretary Dong? Hello." The man shook his hand, his tone cold. "I’m Cheng Wei, the director of the second office of the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission."

Dong Xuebing smiled, "Ah, so you're Director Cheng."

Cheng Wei said: "The province attaches great importance to this matter. Please cooperate fully with our investigation team."

"Of course." Dong Xuebing responded, "We will fully cooperate with the provincial investigation team’s work."

Cheng Wei continued, "We’re on a tight schedule. Some of our team members, such as those from the construction and audit departments, haven't arrived yet. But I would like to visit the site first—the new county committee compound. Would that be okay?"

"Of course." Dong Xuebing said, "Actually, we’re also in the process of moving. The trucks are already loaded. Shall we go together?"

What?

Are they still moving?

Everyone from Jiaolin County was stunned!

Not just them—the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission members were also taken aback. They couldn’t keep up with the county party secretary’s thinking. What was going on? They had come to investigate, and yet they were being completely ignored. No attempt was even made to avoid suspicion. Were they still planning to stay in a place that was wasteful and harmful to the people? What attitude was this? They were not taking the investigation team seriously! This was essentially challenging the province!

Wei Zhixuan was furious, "Secretary Dong! What are you doing?"

Dong Xuebing glanced at him and coldly said, "Should I listen to you or myself?"

Wei Zhixuan was rendered speechless.

Dong Xuebing waved his hand, "Let’s go, move. We’ll take the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission people with us."

The members of the provincial investigation team were all visibly uncomfortable. The way Dong Xuebing spoke was too jarring. They couldn’t believe Jiaolin County had such a reckless county party secretary!

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